Turbine engines, and particularly gas or combustion turbine engines, are rotary engines that extract energy from a flow of combusted gases passing through the engine onto a multitude of rotating turbine blades.
Gas turbine engines utilize a lubricant system for temperature control and lubrication of the engine during operation. Often, heightened temperatures of the lubricant can lead to oil slag, varnish or coking, which can reduce effectiveness of the oil or can clog or damage portions of the engine. Similarly, the lubricant can become contaminated, which can also reduce effectiveness or damage the engine.
Typically, the lubricant is periodically changed, but may not be changed based upon present need of the engine or lubricant. As such, the lubricant may spend too great a time in the engine without being changed. Often, during inspection, an inspector smells the lubricant for a determination of quality, such as burning to determine present lubricant quality. This method is not effective, accurate, or safe.